The Ultimate Interviewing Guide, Part 2: How to Master Video and F2F Interviews

Welcome back to the Ultimate Interviewing Guide. Last week we made it through the phone interviews. By this point, you have most likely have had multiple conversations with HR and at least one member of the hiring team. With each passing interview, you are continuing to hit your stride. The finish line is now in sight, but now, more than ever, it is imperative to prepare for the final hurdles ahead.

Face to face interviews (whether it be in person or by video) may not always be the last step in the process; however, they are usually the interview where the team collectively gathers the most information to base their hiring decisions. If you “pass” the face to face interview, any further interviews should be a piece of cake, comparatively speaking. I am not suggesting that any follow up phone or face to face interviews should be taken lightly.*  Every interview should be well prepared for, if not over prepared for. However, once you clear the toughest hurdle on the course, the rest tend to be much more manageable.

Whether the face to face interview takes place in front of a webcam or in person, I am going to lay out best practices to make sure you are prepared, polished, and most importantly, memorable (in a good way) to the hiring team.

* Read my article on Epic Fails to see how an executive earning $300k bombed the 8th round interview that the company was planning on ending with a job offer and hand shake.

Video Interviews

Innovations in technology have been growing leaps and bounds. Who would have thought that I could have a hockey puck sized device turn on an off the lights in my house, change the temperature on my thermostat, and sing my kids a lullaby just by calling out to her name: Alexa. Video interviewing technology has quickly adapted to become mainstream, replacing the need for paying for flights and hotel rooms while being able to connect people from across the globe in a virtual face to face meeting at any time of the day. There are major advantages in cost and flexibility. Skype can be used for free while other software packages are pennies on the dollar compared to paying for in person interviews. Addressing flexibility, some companies have completely replaced phone with video interviews, others add a video interview as an extra layer of vetting post phone interview (prior to inviting candidates in for a much more expensive, face to face meeting), while some use video interviewing in lieu of meeting in person (which can be extremely cost efficient when hiring remote based employees or those working in a non-local office).

Video interview technologies come in many forms, whether you are using Skype, FaceTime, WebEx, Hirevue, or any other program, yet they all pretty much work in the same way. They provide both the interviewer and the candidate a link or code to sign into the meeting and will automatically connect to your webcam for video and microphone for audio (sometimes companies prefer to have you call into a teleconference line rather than using web based audio in order to retain audio quality should either the internet or program lag during the interview). While some technologies allow for the interview to take place on a computer, tablet, or cell phone, it is advisable to use the device that has the most computing power, generally your computer or laptop, as some programs require advanced CPU speeds and can cause distracting delays during the interview if your device isn’t fast enough.

Keep in mind that many video interview technologies will allow the company to record the interview for future viewing. There will be a disclaimer, generally on the email that includes the link and password for the interview that will let you know if the interview is being recorded. Having the ability to record interviews is an extremely useful tool for companies for a couple of reasons. First, it allows team members who were not available to attend the interview to review at a later time. Considering top talent doesn’t tend to stay available for long, this flexibility allows for interviews to be set up more quickly white retaining the ability for all decision makers to review the candidate’s performance. Second, it cracks down on interview fraud. Although rare, there are times when candidates will either a) have someone more experienced interview on their behalf or b) will interview on someone else’s behalf to help them get the job. In other words, one person interviews while the other shows up, either for an in person interview or, even worse, the first day of the job (check out the story of Jackie and Jill: https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/epic-interview-fails-real-life-examples-poor-led-offers-alex-benjamin/).

Regardless if the video interview is conducted as the first step in the interview process or the very last, you need to properly prepare to take advantage of the technology while limiting the pitfalls.

How to Prepare:

Just like phone interviews, you need to start with doing your homework. Spend some time on the company website, Google the company’s name and see if there are any interesting updates or news articles, and utilize both Google and LinkedIn to research the people you are meeting with (see: https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/ultimate-interviewing-guide-part-1-mastering-art-phone-alex-benjamin/ for the first part of the Ultimate Interviewing Guide for additional details).

Be strategic in setting up the video interview. First and foremost, make sure you pick a location with proper internet connectivity. Slow or intermittent internet connection will cause the video to cut in and out, making it very distracting to all parties. Second, set a time and find a location that you will be uninterrupted for the meeting. This can be a bit more challenging than setting up a phone call which you can take from your car or outside in a quiet location. When picking a location for your video interview, you want to pick a quiet, professional environment. If you can’t find a private place at work, be transparent about your situation and ask the interviewing team if they are flexible on where you conduct the interview. Most times, interviewers won’t care as long as they are aware that you would prefer to be somewhere more professional, but are dealing with an environment that is not cooperating. Try to avoid any locations that can be loud or distracting (ie- Starbucks).

For those who are taking the video interviews from their home or personal office, make sure that you check your surroundings as the interviewers will be able to see behind you and you will be judged by your surroundings. A clean and tidy office space will make for a more professional first impression. A simple solution is to test your webcam placement prior to the interview.

Regardless of where the interview takes place, look your best. Remember, the interviewers can see you. The general rule of thumb for any face to face meeting is to dress on level more professional than what the situation calls for. If the dress code for the company is smart casual, have on your nice suit, or ladies, a nice, professional dress. My litmus test for dress code is, “Would I wear this if I were meeting the team in-person in their office?”

Now that you have a location set and your wardrobe picked out, it is time for a test run. Most video interview software will have a test link to make sure everything is running properly prior to the interview. Testing the system will also let you to see what the webcam picks up to make sure you and your surroundings both look presentable. You may need to move the camera around to pick the perfect viewing angle. You may also need to adjust the lighting in the room to make sure the interviewers can clearly see you.

Execution:

Smile, you’re on camera. Like any first impression, it is important to come across as likable and pleasant. Try to maintain positive and presentable, not only in your answers to the interviewer’s questions, but also with your body language. Keep engaged by maintaining eye focus on the interview. If you have ever done a video interview before, there can be a sense of awkwardness on where to look. Most devices have their webcams above the screen. If you maintain focus at the interviewer (who is on the screen) it will appear as you are looking downward. On the other hand, if you stare into the webcam, you won’t be able to see the interviewer. Is it better to look at the interviewer or stare into the camera? As long as the interviewer has your undivided attention, do whatever makes you feel the most comfortable. I find there is a slight advantage to keeping an eye on the interviewer as one of the benefits of a video interview is the ability to read body language and reaction, something that you can’t do over the phone. Keep in mind that your body language is being read as well, so be mindful of your posture and body language during the conversation. Make sure to avoid outside distractions as the interviewer will notice every time you take your eyes off the screen/camera (which goes back to finding a quiet place that you can remain undisturbed).

Technology is great…when it works. Just because you tested your system and everything was working beforehand, it doesn’t mean that things are going to be smooth throughout the entire interview. The video feed might cut in and out. The audio might be a little gurgled at some point. If this happens, simply bring up the connection issue with the interviewer rather than pretending it isn’t happening. Most times, companies will have a backup plan if the connection isn’t cooperating, usually finishing up the call via phone. You don’t want to be in a situation where you are asking the interviewers to continually repeat themselves or mishear their questions and go off a wild tangent.

On a similar note, the video or audio may be slightly delayed. Although you might be excited or anxious during the interview, try to refrain from interrupting the interviewer as it can be extremely frustrating and distracting being cut off mid thought. This can be especially difficult if there is a lag due to a slow connection. Try to keep a 1 second buffer between the interviewer speaking and providing your response. The slight delay not only makes sure the interviewer is done speaking, but it shows that you are processing what they are saying rather than compulsively responding.

If you plan on taking notes during the call (which is something that I generally suggest doing), when making introductions, ask the interviewers if it is okay for you to jot down some notes during the interview. Of course they will approve, but at least they know what you are doing when you are looking down. Otherwise they may think that you not being attentive by looking away.

Questions:

If you read my last article, you will know that one of the biggest pet peeves that hiring managers have is candidates not having questions for them during the interview. Always come prepared with a list of questions and feel free to write down any questions that come to mind during the interview. Good questions make you memorable post interview. Because video interviews can take place during multiple stages of the interview process, from replacing a first phone interview or being used in lieu of an in-person interview, it can be difficult to come up with a set of questions. It is recommended to do some research on the interviewers and try to come up with questions that are relevant to their point of view. For example, you may want to find out more about the day to life from a colleague level interviewer’s perspective whereas you may want to learn more about departmental direction from the director. If you are meeting with multiple people at the same time, try to have at least one unique question for each interviewer. It will give you a couple of minutes of 1-on-1 time with each interviewer to make sure that they leave the conversation feeling that you have been attentive and interested in their feedback. 

If you are struggling with what questions to ask, visit part one of the Ultimate Interviewing Guide (https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/ultimate-interviewing-guide-part-1-mastering-art-phone-alex-benjamin/).

Follow Up:

When interviewing with decision makers, make sure to follow up with each via a Thank You email. Depending on whether or not you have everyone’s contact information, you may need to ask for the interviewers’ email addresses or send your Thank You email to either your recruiter or HR who can forward it along appropriately.

For a sample Thank You email template, visit part one of the Ultimate Interviewing Guide (https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/ultimate-interviewing-guide-part-1-mastering-art-phone-alex-benjamin/).

In Person/Face to Face (F2F) Interviews

There is no better way to fully vet a candidate than by bringing them in for an old fashion, in person, face to face interview. Even though video interviewing is gaining in popularity, looking someone in the face, putting on a smile, and shaking their hand remains a powerful way to create lasting memories. 

An in person F2F interview provides a wealth of detail outside of just the Q&A during the interview. For the company, it allows the team to come together, working as a team to select the next addition to the group. It also allows for the interviewers to get a feeling of cultural and personality fit as well as interpret body language. For the candidate, they get a chance to check out the office, meet different personalities in their work environment, while also having the ability to pick up on body language throughout the interview.

Since F2F interviews are generally either the main interview or the last and final interview, they will usually take place with the majority of the decision makers and are usually the highest hurdle in the interview process that deserve the most I dotting and T crossing.

How to Prepare:

Follow the same “homework” for video interviewing, researching the company and the interviewers. Most likely, the company will provide you with an agenda that will include the interviewer’s names and titles. When doing your research on each interviewer, make sure to have a list of questions prepared. As mentioned earlier, managers find candidates the most memorable when the candidate are engaged by asking relevant questions that make them stop and think. Take into consideration the level of each interviewer and come up with a few questions for each person that show that you’ve done your homework and care about their input. It is okay to add/remove/edit your questions during the interview, but you want to have a set of questions at your fingertips to bring to the conversation (scroll down to the Questions section for more tips).

Present yourself as well polished and prepared by dressing for success. Follow the rule of thumb by dressing one step nicer than the office dress code. I also suggest bringing a portfolio/binder with you to the interview. The portfolio should include:

1.      A copy of your CV for each interviewer, one for yourself, and a couple of extras in case anyone else pops their head in. Spend the couple extra bucks to print them on Resume paper, which is a thicker stock than typical copy paper and presents more elegantly.

2.      A copy of the job description and the first page of the company website. Although you will most likely not be referencing either during the interview, the interviewer will know that you have done your research if they happen to see you flip through your papers. I would not recommend printing their Linkedin profile as it comes off a little creepy having their profile in your binder.

3.      Business cards to hand out if you have them. You may want to add your personal contact information on the back.

4.      Notepad and pen for taking notes.

5.      List of questions. Don’t hesitate to bring out a list of questions that you prepared. Again, it shows that you spent time preparing for the interview.

Finally, make sure you are prepared with examples of achievements and answers to tough questions. A good practice is to take the list of interviewers and come up with five questions you would ask if you were in their shoes (taking into consideration their title/level in the company). Come up with answers to those questions along with details regarding specific challenges you tackled and skills that you have learned along the way. Although the actual questions may vary, it will be easier to draw from your past experiences now that they are fresh in your mind. Often time, you will find yourself coming up with better sample questions and answers, better examples, and better achievements as you go through your day, well after you are done focusing on the task.

When preparing for the F2F interview, remember that you are practicing to leap the highest hurdle, the one that will the most effort to clear. Just like your other interviews, it is much better to jump over the hurdle with plenty of room to spare rather than underestimate the height and get tripped up.

Execution:

Plan to arrive 15-20 minutes early for the interview, taking into consideration both traffic and weather. You can always spend some extra time sitting in the parking lot with last minute preparations (or playing Candy Crush), but if you walk in late you are already disrupting the interview schedule. If you are running late for the interview call someone and let them know before you are late. The more notice you can give the better (don’t call 2 minutes before the interview is supposed to take place and say that you are running 30 min behind).

When you are being greeted by each interviewer, make sure you stand up, maintain eye contact, and give an old school hardy handy shake. Sit up tall and maintain proper posture. Body language says a lot so make sure you are projecting confidence and professionalism.

When meeting with multiple interviewers keep consistent in your answers. Assume that the interviewers are going to debrief afterwards and will compare notes. You don’t want them finding discrepancies in your responses. It is recommended, however, to provide different examples throughout the interview. Giving multiple examples shows that you have a wealth of experience to pull from rather than pointing back to the same example over and over again.

Besides discussing your qualifications, the interviewers will be assessing cultural fit. Not only do you have to be qualified to do the job, you also need to be likable. Let’s pretend that the roles are reversed and you are in charge of hiring someone that will report directly to you. You have two final round candidates. The first has the most experience of all of the applicants, but has a difficult personality that could make them hard to work with. The second is more junior, showing drive and passion and is willing to do whatever it takes to get up to speed. Who do you hire? The nature of the vacancy may dictate your answer, but you can see how personality and drive play into the decision making process. I have seen many instances where the best cultural fit was chosen, not the most qualified. To learn more about tactics to be more likable, check out the following article: https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/one-thing-you-need-do-nail-interview-even-most-alex-benjamin/.

Questions:

We had discussed the importance of having questions for the interviewers, but what type of questions should you ask?  Since F2F interviewers usually include multiple interviewers spanning different levels and departments it is important to customize your questions to the right people. For example:

Human Resources à Benefits, company culture, company mission statement

Colleague level interviewer à Day to day operations. Position or project specific questions.

Manager/Director level interviewer à Departmental level questions, direction of the company, their pain points that need solving

Executive level à Direction of the company

You may have spoken with one or multiple team members prior to meeting them in person. If this is the case, make sure you have new questions ready for them. The further along you get in the interview process, the more specific your questions should be, taking into the account all that you have learned along the way. You may want to gain each person’s thoughts and opinions on certain topics. You may also want to bring up your previous conversations with other interviewers. For example, if HR stated that the company has been rapidly growing, it might be worth asking the team members what their thoughts are with the growth pattern. Has growth been positively affecting their team? Perhaps the manager mentioned that the team is going to be implementing a new computer system in the near future. If so, does a colleague level interviewer think the upgrade will help make their job more efficient? These questions are simple conversation starters that show that you have been listening.

Follow Up:

Just as before, take the time and send each interviewer a personalized Thank You email that references some of the details from the conversation along with confirming your mutual interest in the company/position. Provide your contact information should they have any follow up questions they would like to ask.

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For any suggestions on future topics either connect with me on LinkedIn (www.dhirubhai.net/in/alexbenjamin) or email: [email protected]

Next Week’s Topic: Job Hunting In January Is Awesome!

Tags: Candidates, Best Practices, General